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True Patriot Love

There are some places that find a place in your heart so deep, that they never leave you. This is what happens when a Canadian makes the pilgrimage to the Vimy Ridge Memorial.

It was on Easter Monday, April 9, 1917, that Canadians made a heroic march through on to the world stage. The 4 divisions of the Canadian Corps fought together for the first time, and won a battle that would turn the course of the war in the Allies favour. If you want a quick history lesson, Veterans Affairs will bring you up to speed. If you want a better and more detailed history lesson, pick up Tim Cook‘s 2 volume set on the Canadians in World War I.

I owe my understanding of the Great War to Dr. Tom Hamilton. To say that he teaches a course on WWI from the Canadian Perspective, does not convey his unique ability to make a long ago war resonate from the walls of a classroom. Nearly four years later, the curiosity, the emotion and understanding that I took from that class is still with me.

The inspiration I drew from that course enriched the day at Vimy, and sparked the road trip we would take following our visit.

But first things first.

The sheep act as caretakers, tending the grass where it is not safe for people to traverse